Hello, everybody, Steph here! I’m the health and wellness coach that Simeon has been telling you about. You know, the foodie with some tricks up her sleeve? It’s very important to me to have the ability to eat well and enjoy it too because I truly enjoy cooking and eating! I’ve been on a long health journey myself, full of trial and error in order to make these lifestyle changes permanent!

Simeon was kind enough to ask me to join him and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this. My goal here is to share some of my recipes and health tips making a healthier lifestyle more obtainable for each and every one of you, just as I have for myself. I know what you’re probably thinking…

• It’s too expensive to eat healthily

• Eating healthy is not enjoyable at all

• I don’t have time to cook healthy meals every day

• My family is picky and won’t enjoy healthy meal

• I’m a simple person and don’t like to leave my comfort zone

• I know what works for me, why fix it if it’s not broken?

… I have good news, so you’re in luck. We’re going to make healthy eating less stressful, more interesting, and more versatile and maybe even fun. I am going to offer you new ways to create meals that are not only super good for you, but taste awesome too. But I need a couple of things from you too. First, I need you to keep an open mind. This may require you to try food that is new to you or combines two ingredients that may seem strange. You will never know if you like something unless you try it right? Second, ask questions if you have them! There are no stupid questions and that is what Simeon and I are here for. To help you succeed!!

Okay, mini introduction over. Let’s get to the good stuff, shall we? I wanted to share one of my personal favorite, staple ingredients in my pantry… OATMEAL! Either you’re jumping for joy or completely bummed out right now. Regardless, I hope to either excite you further or change your outlook on an awesome food item. Oatmeal is phenomenal! Why?

• It is a filing complex carbohydrate that is kind of like a hug every morning when cooked up. It’s warm, comforting and will help keep you full while giving your body some fuel as it is slow digesting

• It will provide you with 5 grams of protein

• You can change it up by adding different ingredients, such as nuts, seeds, extracts & spices. I find it very hard to get bored, but that’s just me!

• It pairs very nicely with protein such as eggs, protein powder, and yogurt.

This morning I tried something a little different by cooking my oats on the stovetop and adding 2 egg whites! I thought it might be weird to eat with berries and nuts, but I was so wrong. It was fantastic.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of rolled oatmeal

2 egg whites

1 cup of water

1 tbsp. of cinnamon

1 tbsp. of peanut or almond butter

200 grams mix of frozen or fresh berries

Optional:

1tbsp. of dark chocolate chips

Handful of seeds (pumpkin seeds, almonds or crushed walnuts)

Preparation:

Add 1cup water & dash of salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add ½ cup rolled oats and bring down to medium heat & stir.

When oats are just about cooked, add your 2 egg whites and stir until cooked.

Transfer “proatmeal” to a bowl. Top with favorite ingredients. I usually use fresh or frozen berries, 1 tsp almond butter, 1-2 tsp dark chocolate chips and a sprinkle of a nut or seed (pumpkin seeds, almonds or crushed walnuts).

Note:If you don’t have a blender you can use fine oats and just mix it with a spoon

Calories:

344 calories

16 grams of protein

47 grams of carbohydrates

11 grams of fat

Give it a shot and let me know how your creation comes out! Your feedback would mean a lot! Enjoy!!